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BILL NUMBER:S916

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agencies to provide certain information in non-English languages

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To ensure the availability of information on any website maintained by an entity of the state, for people of this state who are precluded from utilizing the website because of a language barrier.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill stipulates that any website maintained by an entity of the state which provides materials explaining the services of the entity and which is translated into a non-English language spoken by a substantial number of the public served by any such entity, shall provide a link on its website to appropriate non-English information.

EFFECTS OF PRESENT LAW WHICH THIS BILL WOULD ALTER: The executive law is amended by adding a new section 164-e.

JUSTIFICATION: The Internet has been making a marked increase in the impact on the people of this state. Many people refer to the websites of state departments, divisions, commissions, agencies, and other entities of the state, for information regarding services available. There is a substantial number of people who live, work and pay taxes in this state who are unable to effectively make use of these websites, either because they do not speak or write English at all, or because their primary language is other than English. As a result, a substantial number of people are presently being denied information on services that would otherwise be available.

Enactment of this bill will ensure that any information on a website maintained by an entity of the state is available for any persons of this state to whom English is not a primary language.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect 90 days after it shall have become a law.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
916
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
(PREFILED)
January 9, 2013
___________

Introduced by Sens. SERRANO, PARKER, PERALTA, SQUADRON -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agen-
cies to provide certain information in non-English languages
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 164-e
to read as follows:
S 164-E. WEBSITE MATERIAL. ANY STATE DEPARTMENT, DIVISION, COMMISSION,
AGENCY OR ANY OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE WHICH MAINTAINS A WEBSITE WHICH
PROVIDES ANY MATERIALS EXPLAINING SERVICES WHICH SUCH DEPARTMENT, DIVI-
SION, COMMISSION, AGENCY OR OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE PROVIDES TO THE
PUBLIC AND WHICH IS TRANSLATED INTO A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY A
SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THE PUBLIC SERVED BY ANY SUCH STATE ENTITY SHALL
PROVIDE A LINK ON ITS WEBSITE TO APPROPRIATE NON-ENGLISH INFORMATION.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.

EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00536-01-3

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